Draft appliance.



R. JOHNSON.

DRAFT APPLIANCE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22. I916.

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Patented July 17,1917.

RICHARD Jomvsoii; or LAKE BENTON, Mm vEsoT-A.

' DRAFT APPLIANCE.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

rammed July at, 1am.

Application filed December 22, 1516. Serial No. 138,440.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RICHARD JOHNSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Lake Benton, in thecounty of Lincoln and adapted to be used uponbuggies and light wagons and it consists in the novel features hereinafter described and claimed. I

An object of the invention is to provide an appliance of simple and durable structure which is adapted to hold the swingletrees away from the legs of the animals In the event that the traces become slack'when the vehicle is passing down a hill or incline."

With this object in view the device includes a double "tree made up of sections which are pivota'lly connected together and which are pivotally connected with the tongue, there being a spring connect'ed withthe sections and adapted to hold them in normal position. Swingle-trees are mounted upon the sections of the double-tree, and

draft animals are connected with the swingle-trees 111 a usual manner.

In the accompanying drawmgsz Figure 1 is a top plan view of the draft appliance. I

. Fig. 2 is a front edge elevation of the same showing the tongue in section. Fig. 3 is adetailed sectional view of the draft appliance 'cut on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4= is a similar view out on the line 44 of Fig. 1. a

The draft appliance comprises a bolt 1 which passes vertically through the tongue.

2 in the usual manner. A clip 3 is connected at one end with the tongue 2 and at its other end receives the upper portion of the bolt 1. A plate 4 is mounted upon the upper portion of the tongue 2 and the bolt 1 passes transversely through the same. The said plate is secured in position by means of bolts 5 some of which pass transversely through the tongue 2 and also through a plate (5 positioned against the under surface of the said tongue. ()thcr of the said bolts 5 lie at the opposite sides of the tongue 2 as shown in Fig. 4.

Thedouble tree 'lof the draft appliance consists of-sections 7 which are secured at their inner ends in sleeves 8. The said sleeves bein pivotally mounted upon the bolt 1 as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and swingle-trees 9 are pivotally mounted at the outer ends of the sections 7 of the double-tree in the usual manner. Rear wardly disposed arms 10 are secured to the rear edges of the sections7 in. the vicinity of the inner ends thereof and are located atthe opposite sides of the tongue 2.. A spring 11 is connected at its ends with the rear ends of the arms 10 and is disposed transversely across the tongue 2 behind the clip3.

The sleevesS are provided. at their inner forward portions with shoulders 12 adapted to abut against each other when the sections 7 are in alinement with each other as shown in 'F jg. 1 thereby limiting the relative forward swinging movement of the sections when subjected to strain. The sleeves 8 are provided at their under 'sides with lugs 13 mals are hitched to the swingle-trees and exert strain upon the draft appliance the spring 11 will be elongated whereby the sections 7 of thedouble-trees are swung upon the pivotal connection with the ton ue. In the event that the vehicle to which t e draft appliance is attached begins to descend an incline and the draft strain is removed from the swin-gle-trees 9 the tension of the spring 11 comes into play whereby the outer ends of the sections 7 are drawn rearwardly and thus the swingle-trees and the ends of the sections 7 of the double-trees are moved back away from the hind legs of the animals. Thus in the event that the traces become slack and the draft appliance moves away from the animal and does not run up in contact with the same as is usual with the ordinary arrangement of swingle and doubletrees in a draft appliance.

the arms and disposed transversely across the tongue, a plate mounted on the tongue 10 and having openings, and lugs carried by the sleeves and having contact with the Walls of the openings in the plate.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

RICHARD JOHNSON. 

